Gov. Bill Haslam, left, talks with UT President Joe DiPietro during a board of trustees meeting Thursday, June 21, 2012 at the University of Tennessee. Trustees voted on the annual budget and an 8 percent tuition increase in Knoxville to cover fixed costs, salary increases and academic initiatives.(Photo: Amy Smotherman Burgess/News Sentinel)Buy Photo

The University of Tennessee board of trustees on Friday will consider more than $795 million in capital projects proposed for the next five years, including the construction of a new college of nursing at UT Knoxville, estimated to cost $95 million.

The list of more than a dozen proposed projects is among several items the board will consider starting at 1 p.m. Friday in Hollingsworth Auditorium at the UT Institute of Agriculture. Committee meetings will take place Thursday afternoon and earlier in the day Friday.

Following approval by the board Friday, UT will ask the state for funding for the projects starting with an initial round to be included in the 2018-2019 budget.

$95M College of Nursing a priority

Priority projects include a new $84 million energy and environmental science education research building for UTIA; the college of nursing project; and a new $43 million audiology and speech pathology building to be located at the UT Medical Center Campus in Knoxville.

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE Susan Fancher, simulation director for the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, demonstrates how the simulated electronic fetal monitoring app works.(Photo: Melissa Dos Santos)

Renovation or rebuild of the College of Nursing is the Knoxville campus' biggest priority and will help to accommodate growing enrollment and high demand for nursing professionals in Tennessee, said UT Knoxville spokeswoman Karen Simsen.

Enrollment in the college has grown from 450 students to 800 over the past six years, while space constraints have limited the growth of research and technology. The college also has goals of growing enrollment to 1,000 students.

New subcommittee to report on efficiency

The board also will be hearing for the first time the report of a new Subcommittee on Efficiency and Cost Savings, created by the Tennessee legislature in 2016.

David Miller, chief financial officer for the UT system, is expected to report on more than $15 million in recurring savings generated in 2016 and 2017 across the UT system and how those savings fit into systemwide efforts to reduce projected budget gaps.

Policies on free speech and smoking

The board will look at adopting a policy to comply with the Campus Free Speech Protection Act, a new state law affirming the principals of free speech and outlawing restrictions on where students have free speech rights on campus.

The law requires governing bodies for every institution of higher learning to adopt a policy that affirms certain principles of free speech for students and faculty before January 1, 2018.

Buy Photo

UTK senior Dominique Patrick smokes a cigarette between classes Thursday, June 29, 2017. The university is looking at making the campus smoke-free and Patrick says it will be a pain looking for those areas between classes.(Photo: Michael Patrick/News Sentinel)

The Knoxville campus is currently reviewing its free speech policies in anticipation of the new system policy, although a spokeswoman said last month that they do not expect to need major changes in order to comply with the law.

Both Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport and UT President Joe DiPietro have spoken highly of the state law, saying it provides further protections for freedom of thought on campus.

A systemwide smoking policy is also proposed following another new state law that gives the board the authority to set smoking policies on campuses that are more restrictive than current state law on smoking. The proposed policy would allow campuses to completely ban smoking or limit it to certain areas.

In Knoxville, a campus task force on smoking met for the first time Monday and is charged with creating a policy for a smoke-free campus, Simsen said. If the board policy is approved, it would give UT Knoxville the authority to have such a policy.

Outsourcing, salaries and Neyland Stadium renovations

Other items on the agenda for Friday include a review of updated plans for the renovation of Neyland Stadium, campus decisions on facilities outsourcing and the presentation of a systemwide policy that would limit the salaries of administrators who return to faculty jobs.

Earlier this week, the four main campuses of the UT system announced decisions that they would not be participating in a state proposal to add public colleges and universities to a facilities outsourcing contract. Leaders of each campus will provide further details on their decisions in presentations to the board Friday.

Buy Photo

People supporting Chancellor Beverly Davenport's decision not to participate in the state's outsourcing proposal for facilities workers at University of Tennessee, hold a press conference announcing her decision at the Torchbearer statue Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017.(Photo: CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

The proposed policy on so-called retreat salaries follows reports by the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee that UT was paying former administrators at rates beyond what is typical for those that return to faculty jobs and the average salaries of faculty in those administrators' respective departments.

The policy, which is in draft form, would require than when an administrative appointment ends, the administrative salary would be relinquished in favor of a salary more in line with those of faculty in the department.

The policy, while included in Friday's meeting materials, will not be formally considered until after it appears before the Executive and Compensation Committee in mid-December.